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5 Document(s) [ Subject: Government transparency ]

Committee:	Senate State Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Affordable housing | Age (Law) | Agriculture | Alcohol laws and regulations | Audits | Beverages | Bingo | BlackRock | Boycotts | Child welfare | Children's mental health | Citizenship | Compassionate Use Act, Texas | Countywide Polling Place Program | Distilleries | e-commerce | Election administration | Election security | Electioneering | Elections | Emergency shelters | Environmental, Social, and Governance | Farm Bill | Farm produce | Financial investments | Foreign real estate transactions | Freedom of speech | Gambling | Government transparency | Hemp | High tech industry | Homelessness | Immigrants | Impeachment | Investment of public funds | Ku Klux Klan | Landlords and tenants | Lottery Commission, Texas | Lottery.com | Marijuana | Minors | Natural gas industry | Oil industry | Open government | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Open records requests and decisions | Paxton, Ken | Political violence | Pornography | Primary elections | Product safety | Public demonstrations | Public Information Act, Texas | Public retirement systems | Real estate transactions | Runoff elections | School districts | Secretary of State, Texas | Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act | Social media | State comparisons | Substance abuse | Texas Constitution | Texas Distilled Spirits Association | Texas history | Texas Lottery | Transitional housing | U.S. Constitution | Voter registration |
Library Call Number:	L1836.88 ST29A
Session:	88th R.S. (2023)
Online version:	View report [93 pages  File size: 2,963 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Maintaining Election Security: Identify threats to Texas’s election integrity, including those from "Big Tech" and foreign entities. Recommend ways to neutralize such threats. Additionally, evaluate the countywide polling place program in Texas. Make recommendations to address countywide polling issues, such as increased wait times, longer travel distances, supply shortages, and reporting irregularities. Evaluate current laws that prohibit political subdivisions and public school districts from using government resources for illegal electioneering. Make recommendations to strengthen these laws and put a stop to illegal electioneering.
2.	Social Media & Protecting Children: Study the impact of social media use on children. Review current mechanisms in place to protect minors online. Monitor the implementation of HB 18, 88th R.S., relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services and electronic devices, including the use and transfer of electronic devices to students by a public school. Make policy recommendations to further protect Texas children online.
3.	Protecting Texas Land and Assets: Evaluate strategic land and asset acquisitions in Texas by foreign entities that threaten the safety and security of the United States. Further, evaluate large-scale purchases of single-family homes by domestic entities and its impact on housing affordability for Texas families. Make recommendations to ensure Texans are secure from foreign threats and homes are affordable in our state.
4.	Responsible Investing: Study the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors on our state’s public pensions, with a focus on proxy voting services. Make recommendations to ensure our state’s pension systems vote and invest in accordance with their fiduciary responsibility to maximize profit. Additionally, monitor the implementation of SB 13, 87th R.S., relating to state contracts with and investments in certain companies that boycott energy companies. Specifically, examine how a company is removed from the list of companies that boycott energy companies when the company ceases to boycott energy companies. Report on how frequently the list maintained by the comptroller is updated and make recommendations to ensure an ongoing accurate list.
5.	Banning Delta 8 and 9: Examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas. Make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children.
6.	Impeachment Reform: Evaluate the constitutional and statutory impeachment procedures in our state. Make recommendations to ensure a fair and transparent process.
7.	Runoff Elections: Study the prerequisites, timing, and efficiency of runoff elections. Make recommendations to increase the efficiency and lower the costs of runoff elections. Examine the 50% vote threshold to avoid a runoff, particularly when four or more candidates are running for the same office. Report whether the vote percentage threshold should be lowered in some instances.
8.	Lottery: Study "lottery courier services," which allow their clients to purchase lottery tickets over the internet. Report on the number of couriers and the magnitude of sales from such services in Texas. Determine whether courier services are operating legally in Texas and whether a change in law is needed to respond to technological advancements to protect children in our state and to maintain original legislative intent. Recommend legislation to clarify Texas’s laws regarding online lottery sales.
9.	Unmasking Protestors: Study the use of face coverings and hoods designed to conceal the identity of those bent on committing crimes at protests. Recommend legislation to stop the chaos and destruction by those who attempt to commit crimes while concealing their identity during public gatherings.
10.	Stop Noncitizen Voting: Evaluate the current safeguards in place to prevent noncitizens from voting in elections. Recommend legislation to facilitate the removal of noncitizen voters from the voter rolls as well as legislation to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote in Texas.
11.	Beverages with THC: Evaluate Texas laws and regulations concerning THC beverage manufacturing and delivery. Report on the current regulations and safeguards Texas may or may not have in place for drinks with any amount of THC. Recommend legislation to protect Texas consumers.
12.	Public Trust in Government: Examine the current state of accountability, ethics, and transparency in local government. Recommend ways to bolster public trust in local government by strengthening the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act.
13.	Addressing Homelessness: Study programs that address the homelessness crisis in Texas. Specifically, review programs like Haven for Hope and determine whether such programs could be a model throughout our state. Propose legislation to address the root causes of homelessness by expanding successful programs for cities of all sizes.
14.	Election Audit Reports: Evaluate the Secretary of State’s election audit reports. Make recommendations to secure our elections and ensure counties follow the law.
15.	Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs passed by the 88th Legislature. Specifically, evaluate the impact of SB 2284, 88th R.S. relating to the sale of distilled spirits to ultimate consumers by the holder of a distiller's and rectifier's permit. Report whether the increased sale of distilled spirits has had a positive impact on economic development and public safety in this industry.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Foster care | Government transparency | Higher education | Medicaid | Mental health services | Mentally disabled persons | Mentally ill persons | STAR+PLUS program | Student aid |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 H88
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [67 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine crisis resources for individuals with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Identify strategies to serve individuals with complex behavioral and medical needs in the community.
2.	Monitor the implementation of Foster Care Redesign. Evaluate its impact on the child welfare system in areas of the state where redesign is underway, including transition from the legacy system, foster family retention and recruitment, placement stability, permanency, and child safety.
3.	Monitor and evaluate implementation of SB 7, 83rd R.S., including agency preparations for the statewide rollout of STAR+PLUS.
4.	Former foster youth have the benefit of free tuition and fees if they enroll in higher education, yet very few take advantage of this opportunity. Consider new strategies to support these youth and make recommendations to enroll and retain more foster youth in higher education. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Higher Education)
5.	Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction, including implementation of the Balancing Incentives Program and relevant legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Committee:	Senate Open Government
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Government transparency | Privacy | Public information | University students | Websites |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 Op2
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [15 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review the Texas Public Information Act to ensure that access to public records and information by the public remains fully transparent, but that governmental entities have the authority to protect the privacy interests of citizens, including primary and higher education students, from improper public disclosure.
2.	Review and make recommendations on improving the transparency of information available on state websites regarding state expenditures, reports, and contracts, including a comparison of how similar information is provided by other states.
Committee:	House State Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Anonymous campaign contributions | Campaign finance and expenditure reports | Campaign finance reform | Electric Reliability Council of Texas | Electricity supplies | Electricity transmission and distribution | Enhanced driver licenses | Environmental cleanup | Environmental compliance | Environmental Quality, Texas Commission on | Government transparency | Public Utility Commission of Texas | Railroad Commission of Texas | Real ID Act | State government contracts | Undocumented immigrants |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 St29h
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [56 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the methods state agencies use for planning for investment in future infrastructure. Specifically, review how agencies determine what investments in infrastructure will be necessary to meet the state's demands and facilitate continued economic expansion. Review how agencies determine the costs and benefits associated with future infrastructure investment to ensure that the citizens of the state are receiving the best value and what other factors agencies use to make investment decisions.
2.	Study Title 15 of the Election Code, which regulates political funds and campaigns, including requirements for financial reports by campaigns, candidates, officeholders, and political committees. Specifically, study what types of groups are exempt from reporting requirements in the Election Code and make recommendations on how to make the political process more transparent.
3.	Study the different financial assurance options used by state agencies to ensure compliance with environmental clean-up or remediation costs. Determine whether the methods utilized by state agencies are appropriate to ensure sufficient funds will be available when called upon.
4.	Review state agency contracting with businesses seeking to provide goods and services to the state. Study the procedures agencies use to determine the costs versus benefits when evaluating proposals. Determine whether additional disclosure and reporting requirements are necessary to ensure transparency and accountability and to promote ethical business practices.
5.	Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Committee:	House Government Efficiency and Reform
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Accenture LLP | Administrative Hearings, State Office of | Competitive bidding | Design/build process | Government transparency | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | IBM | Identity requirements | Information Resources, Texas Department of | Local government contracts | Occupational licenses | Privatization | Roofing | Rules and regulations | Social media | State agencies | State government contracts | State purchasing | Texas State Data Center |
Library Call Number:	L1836.82 G747r
Session:	82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version:	View report [161 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine and make recommendations on purchasing cooperatives created under Chapter 791 of the Texas Government Code, including the bid process and the role of inter-local contracts. Clarify for consistency the following terms: purchasing cooperatives, inter-local contracts, and inter-local agreements.
2.	Examine the utilization of alternative project delivery methods, such as design-build and construction-manager-at-risk, by municipalities, water districts, and authorities, and other local governmental entities since the passage of HB 1886, 80th Legislature.
3.	Examine interagency agreements and charges for providing information or personal identification documents at the request of a state agency to fulfill day-to-day operations at the expense of the requesting state agency.
4.	Examine areas of potential privatization of state services in an effort to achieve a higher level of service and greater efficiency for Texas taxpayers. (Joint with the House Committee on State Affairs)
5.	Examine state agency rulemaking and consider ways to improve procedural efficiencies and public transparency, and to better inform policymakers as to their use, purpose, and cost-effectiveness, including an examination of the financial and other impacts such regulations have on both the license holder and the public. (Joint with the House Committee on State Affairs)
6.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 82nd Legislature.
7.	Find ways to increase transparency, accountability and efficiency in state government.

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